What Not To Buy For The Holidays

What Not To Buy For The Holidays

We’re in the middle of the holiday season, which means plenty of folks—myself included—are out shopping for gifts and looking for deals. And since everything seemingly is on sale, now is a great time to buy things for around the house… right?

Wrong, apparently. Kiplingers put out an article recently on products you should avoid buying during the holidays, and I thought I’d share some of the better ones.

Jewelry – You might win a loved one over with some sparklies this holiday season, but Dealcrunch.com says the better prices on jewelry are found in late January, during the build-up to Valentine’s Day.

Bedding – Everywhere you go now has flannel sheets and new comforters that look nice (and easy to wrap), but NerdWallet.com seems to think the traditional January white sales offer better pricing.

Trendy Toys – Cabbage Patch dolls, Tickle Me Elmos… trends come and go. This year it’s all about Fingerlings Baby Monkey and L.O.L. Surprise dolls. BradsDeals.com says you’ll find these cheaper as soon as Christmas is over. For instance, last year’s biggie—Hatchimals—were restocked and discounted by New Year’s Eve.

Of course, what kind of monster makes a child wait for a toy until AFTER the holidays?!

Fitness Equipment – My condolences to any person giving their S.O. a treadmill for Christmas. But if “inconsolable rage” isn’t enough of a deterrent to stop you, know that fitness equipment is typically cheaper in late December and early January as people gear up for New Year’s resolutions, according to BestBlackFriday.com.

Mattresses – Tradition holds true for a lot of things on this list. Just like bedding is cheaper during white sales, mattresses will be cheaper during Memorial Day sales, according to BestBlackFriday.com.

Electronics In General – In order to achieve the super-low prices you see on electronics during the holiday shopping season, DealNews.com says that a lot of manufacturers put out special models for the holiday season with stripped feature sets… just to hit a price point. So when you’re shopping, remember: just because it’s cheaper doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a value.

Final Sale Items – If you’ve been in a mall lately, you’ve probably seen several big retailers holding “Final Sales” as they close stores or shut down altogether. Just remember, anything bought from a company going under cannot be returned. Sometimes it’s better to pay a little more for peace of mind in case something breaks.

As I write this, we’ve already started Hanukkah and there are 11 shopping days until Christmas. If you’re still shopping, I hope you find some good deals and I hope you’re shopping smartly!